Baby sit-up device



Jan. 1, 1963 R. D. WOOD 3,071,411

BABY SIT-UP DEVICE Filed Feb. 23, 1961 INVENTOR. RUSSELL D. WOOD ATTORNEY 3,07 1A1 l fatented Jan. 1,. 1963 ice 3,071,411 BABY SIT-UP DEVICE Russeli D. Wood, Taft, Caiif. (232 N. Stine Road, Bakersfield, Calif.) Fiied Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 91,247 6 Claims. (Cl. 297-285) The present invention relates to an article of furniture and more specifically to a baby sit-up device which is ideally and uniquely suited for supporting a child from three months to fifteen months of age in a sit-up position, and which is portable so that it can be easily moved from one location to another.

While baby sit-up devices as such are not broadly new, the devices presently available do not provide means for readily adjusting the angle of support for the child, nor is the support element supported so as to adjust to the weight and movement of the child. In effect, the devices presently available provide nothing more than a chair support fixed at a pre-determined angle for support of a child without provision for adjusting the angle to the comfort of the child or for absorbing the weight and movement of the child. The baby sit-up of the present device provides a chair assembly which can be supported in any desirable angled relationship, and such chair assembly is further resiliently suspended so as to automatically adjust to the weight and any movement of the child. The present device is further portable so that it can be readily moved from one location to the other.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to generally improve the construction of furniture of this type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a baby sit-up device with a chair assembly which can be readily supported in any desirable angled relationship and which is resiliently suspended so as to automatically adjust to the weight of the child and any movement of the child.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a baby sit-up device which is pleasing in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, highly eflicient in use, and portable so that it can be readily moved from one location to another.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon perusal of the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a baby sit-up device embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view taken in the direction of line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 disclosing the automatic adjustment of the chair assembly while supporting the child.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4, with parts removed.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the sit-up device disclosed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3, with parts removed.

Referring to the drawings, a baby sit-up embodying the principles of the present invention is disclosed broadly as number Ni, and comprises a pair of side panels 11 and 12 which are positioned in upstanding substantially parallel relationship by a pair of upper spacers 13 and a pair of lower spacers 14. Each of the upper spacers 13 is preferably a dowel and fixed between respective upper corners of the side panels 11 and 12 by suitable fastening means 15. The lower spacers 14 are likewise fixed by suitable fasteners 16 between respective lower corners of each of the side panels 11 and 12 and are formed of a size so as to extend beyond, the respective front and rear edge of the respective panels so as to act as suitable bumpers and bases for caster wheels 17.

A chair assembly 18 is provided for suspension between the side panels 11 and 12 and, as will be more fully appreciated hereinafter, supports a child in a sitting up position, which position has been found to be excellent for holding the child during feeding. This chair assembly comprises a back rest 19 which is preferably formed of suitable sheet material, such as plywood, and a seat rest 20 which is also preferably formed of plywood and, as will be readily understood, acts as both a seat rest and a foot rest for a relatively small child occupying the chair. The seat rest 20 is hingedly connected with the back rest 19 at a point slightly remote from. the lower end 21 of the back rest by a suitable piano hinge 22 so that any desired angle of inclination of' the seat rest 20 with reference to the back rest 19 can easily be achieved.

The respective side panels 11 and 12, as previously suggested, are formed of rigid material, preferably pegboard, which board has a plurality of holes or openings 23 formed therein. A support rod 24 and a support rod 25 are extended through aligned openings formed in the respective side panels and so located as to support the back rest 19 adjacent its upper end 26, and the seat rest 20 adjacent its upper end 27. It will be appreciated that the angle of inclination of the seat rest 20 with reference to the back rest 19 is determined principally by the location of respective rods 24 and 25, and since the side panels 11 and 12 are preferably formed of pegboard, this angle of inclination can be any desirable angle chosen with the comfort of the child being uppermost in mind.

The chair assembly is resiliently suspended so as to automatically adjust to the weight of the child and any movement of the child while in the chair. This is effected by a pair of tension springs 28 which are interconnected in spaced relationship with the back rest 19 adjacent the lower end 21, and a support rod 29 which extends through the respective side panels 11 and 12 and is supported thereby. It will be appreciated that since the back rest and the seat rest are each merely slidably supported by the respective rods 24 and 25, and are not fixed to such rods, when a weight is applied to the chair assembly, for example, when a child is placed thereon as disclosed in FIG. 4, the back rest and the seat rest will tend to slide upon their respective support rods 24 and 25 to form a more sharply angled relationship between the two until such time as the weight of the child is supported by the springs 28. The child, therefore, is in eifect resiliently suspended between the respective side panels at an angled position which is most comfortable to the child while at the same time most preferable for such purposes as feeding. It will also be appreciated that the springs 28 are so chosen as to have that degree of tension necessary for resiliently suspending the child under these circumstances.

A partial floor member 30 can be fixed between the side panels by suitable brackets 31 and fastening elements 32, and serves as a convenient shelf for the childs toys and other paraphernalia. be fixed between the respective side panels by suitable brackets 34 and fastening elements 35 for limiting the downward movement of the chair assembly to a predetermined angled relationship. It will be appreciated that this stop member also functions as a back element for the partial floor member. It is also contemplated that a front panel 36 might be employed for substantially enclosing the front end, and this panel can be easily posi- A stop member 33 can also tioned by suitable brackets 37 and fastening elements 38.

Hand rails 39 are preferably fixed to each of the side panels and are preferably formed of wood, each of the hand rails having a plurality of openings 40 formed therein for supporting a bead chain 41 or other similar type toy.

In reviewing the details of the above-described construction, it will be appreciated that the chair assembly not only is adjustable for supporting the child in any desirable angled sit-up position, but is resiliently suspended between th respective side panels for automatic adjustment in accordance with the weight or movement of the child. It is naturally contemplated that a mat of one form or another 42 will be carried on the chair assembly for affording still greater comfort to the infant. It is, of course, obvious that the side panels formed of pegboard permit ventilation within the device, greatly adding to the comfort of the infant, and also the adjustable and supporting features of the device are of great posture and health benefit to the infant.

What is claimed is:

1. A baby sit-up device comprising a frame having side panels disposed in upstanding, spaced, substantially parallel relationship, a chair assembly comprising a back rest and a seat rest positioned in angled relationship, support means interconnected between said side panels for slidably supporting opposite ends of said back rest and said seat rest, and spring means fixed at one of its ends to said side panels and connected at its opposite end to said chair assembly so as to resiliently suspend said chair assembly in its pre-determined angled relationship.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 including hinge means for interconnecting said back rest and said seat rest, said spring means having said opposite end fixed to one of said rest members and adjacent to said hinge means.

3. A sit-up device comprising:

a frame having a pair of perforated side panels disposed in upstanding spaced and substantially parallel relationship with said perforations substantially aligned;

a chair assembly including a back member and a seat member connected in angular relationship with the inner end of said seat member hingedly secured to said back member at a point spaced intermediate the ends of said back member;

support means extending transversely through selective of said aligned perforations of said side panels in adjustable relationship thereto for freely supporting opposite outer ends of said back and seat members; and

spring means having one of its ends fixed to said frame and an opposite end fixed to said back member and spaced from said hinge point thereof so as to freely suspend said chair.

4. A sit-up device as defined in claim 3, including stop means supported on said side panels and selectively positionable into a position for engagement by said chair assembly for limiting movement of said chair assembly against the bias of said spring means.

5. In a baby sit-up device comprising:

a frame having its side panels disposed in upstanding,

spaced apart, and substantially parallel relationship;

a chair assembly for support by said frame between said side panels and comprising a back rest, a seat rest hingedly fixed on said back rest so as to be in angular relationship with respect to said backrest;

support means extending between said panels for adjustably slidably supporting said chair assembly adjacent opposite ends thereof; and

resilient means for floatingly suspending the hinge line of said chair assembly whereby said chair assembly is automatically adjustable relative to the weight of the occupant of the chair assembly.

6. A baby sit-up device comprising:

a frame having side panels including a pair of perforated panels disposed in upstanding, spaced apart, substantially parallel relationship with said perforations aligned;

a chair assembly disposed between said side panels, said chair asesmbly comprising a back seat, a seat rest hingedly connected to said back rest at apoint spaced from the lower end of said back rest;

support means extending between said side panels for adjustably, slidably supporting said seat rest and said back rest in various desired angled positions; and

spring means interconnected between said back rest adjacent to the lower end thereof and said side panels for resiliently suspending said chair assembly between said side panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,868 Armstrong July 15, 1873 1,149,421 Wilmot Aug. 10, 1915 2,830,650 Lorenz Apr. "15, 1958 

1. A BABY SIT-UP DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING SIDE PANELS DISPOSED IN UPSTANDING, SPACED, SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, A CHAIR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BACK REST AND A SEAT REST POSITIONED IN ANGLED RELATIONSHIP, SUPPORT MEANS INTERCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SIDE PANELS FOR SLIDABLY SUPPORTING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BACK REST AND SAID SEAT REST, AND SPRING MEANS FIXED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO SAID SIDE PANELS AND CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE END TO 